Social Problems Faced By Alzheimer’s Patients

To understand the problems faced by Alzheimer’s patients we should first know what Alzheimer’s is. Alzheimer’s is one of the worst and most powerful forms of Dementia. Dementia is a broad term that pertains to the deteriorating condition of one mental health. Dementia is a progressive disease and it is the sixth leading cause of death in America. Every 3 seconds someone in the world develops Dementia. It is believed that around 50 Million people suffer from Alzheimer’s and other forms of Dementia and this number is thought to increase rapidly if proper precautions aren’t taken. Other than the internal hardships faced by Alzheimer’s patient, people suffering from Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia have to go through a lot of social problems as well.

The Money Required For Treatment

One of the most common socio-economic problems faced by Alzheimer’s patients is the high treatment cost associated with it. Some people who cannot afford it are left living with excruciating pain while others who borrow from their relatives and friends have to live under the burden of a large amount of loan. Due to relatively bad mental condition, people with Alzheimer’s should hand over their financial decisions to their closed ones.

Alzheimer’s Disease Leads To Other Medical Issues

If someone is suffering from Alzheimer’s and proper treatment isn’t carried out then there are very high chances for the patient to develop other diseases like depression, anxiety, stress, and many other similar problems. If you are not getting the right treatment for the respective disease then It can also lead to genetical issues in your children as well. It can also lead to a stage where the patient becomes aggressive and angry all the time.

Social Interactions

People who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of Dementia experience several issues while interacting with other people. Social anxiety is a condition common in people suffering from Dementia. Such people have difficulty in interacting with other people and are unable to follow a conversation. They also have difficulty in remembering names and sometimes the subject of the whole conversation. Patients suffering from the respective disease can also suffer from extensive mood swings and in the late stages, these patients might even have difficulty in remembering or recognizing their own family members.

Memory Loss

Memory loss is one of the most common aspects of Dementia. People who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or any other mental illness are one way or another bound to suffer from memory loss. In the early stages of Alzheimer the memory loss is very mild however as the Alzheimer worsens, so does the memory of the patient. It is advised for people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease to never leave the home on their own even if their disease is in the early stages. If you are suffering from Alzheimer’s then you might even forget your way home while you are out shopping in the market so it is always better to go out with a friend or family member.

Physical Problems

Mind and body go hand in hand. If one isn’t well the other one is sure to feel the effects. Alzheimer’s disease affects your mental state and that also affects your body. People who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease often complain about feeling tired and fatigued. They feel like theory energy has maxed out and that they are no longer able to do anything. Alzheimer’s also causes delayed reaction times in patients. As the Alzheimer progresses in stages the physical state of the patient deteriorates.

Bullying

Alzheimer’s patients suffer a lot of bullying from other people. This happens because of the inability of the patients to perform or converse properly with other people in society. Bullying is one of the most bitter and unfortunate things that are prevalent in our society. Almost all people who suffer from different forms of dementia get bullied by their peers and in some cases even family members. Such patients need our love and understanding, bullying them can only make their case worse which can eventually be fatal for them.

The Role of Relatives and Caregivers

These are some of the most common social problems faced by patients of Alzheimer’s disease. The relatives of these respective patients also face a lot of problems. More often or not the caregivers for Alzheimer’s patients are their family members. Dealing with an Alzheimer’s patient is hard, which is why it is ideal that the family members take the matter of caregiving in their own hands. We live in a society where there are several institutionalized homes for people suffering from different diseases. If you have someone in your family suffering from any form of dementia, you would find a lot of people who would give you advice about taking your sick relative to one of these homes. People might sometimes even ask you hurtful questions like “Don’t you get frustrated with all the caregiving”. These questions and comments by other people in the society can be ignored however what cannot be ignored is the patient in your family who needs your care 24/7.

It is true that taking care of such people is hard and in some cases, it does get frustrating but you as a loved one of that person should never lose hope. You should realize that if the other person forgets something then it’s not his fault, it’s just his damaged mental state that does not let him remember things. Caregivers can also be at the receiving end of physical and verbal aggression, mood swings, repetition of sentences and many more similar things. It is more difficult to take care of a person suffering from a mental issue then it is to take care of a person with a physical disability. Dealing with Alzheimer’s patients can be very hard and this is why we should all support the people who take care of such patients as they not only deserve our support but all our good wishes as well.

How To Overcome The Problems

For the patients, the problems can be overcome by providing them with the best care possible. There are certain companies that provide professional caregiving services to such people however it is always better to have a family member care for the patient in the family. Alzheimer’s patients can sometimes get very hard to deal with however sometimes all it takes to make the patients calm is a gentle hug. The caregivers should try to keep the Alzheimer’s patient as calm and relaxed as possible. They should try to be good listeners even if the patient is repeating the same sentence over and over again. Criticizing or stopping the dementia patient from speaking can actually worsen his condition so it is better to move along with whatever the patient is saying. A nice cozy bath can also help the dementia patient feel relaxed. It is critical for caregivers to not show any frustration or anger even if they are feeling it.

Here
is what relatives can do in order to help out the Dementia patient in the
family;

Stay calm in front of the
patient

NEVER argue with the patient

Try to make the patient feel
relaxed and calm

Don’t disturb the patient’s
sleep

Be flexible

Respond to the requests made
by the patient

Set a daily routine

Make the patient eat healthy
food in an unforced way

Family
members and caregivers also face a lot of problems while taking care of the
patient. They can overcome these problems by trying to keep their minds active
and fresh. They should learn to be calm and should develop a sense of
relaxation that whatever the patient does is not intentional. There are certain
groups that can help caregivers cope up with their frustration and tiredness
that they develop while taking care of mental patients.

There is not an official cure for Alzheimer’s disease however there are many ways by which this disease can be controlled. It is always better to be proactive than to be reactive. We live in a very tech savvy and modern world where everything is achievable by just pressing few buttons on your phone. There are many apps out there that can help you test your mental state but none of them are like Cognity. COGNITYis a very efficient and effective app that lets you understand the state of your mental condition in case it finds any symptoms of Dementia or Alzheimer’s in you or any of your loved ones. It can help detect Dementia by analyzing a photo of a clock drawing. Alzheimer’s can be genetical so if you have someone in your family that suffers from the respective disease then you should definitely take the digitalized mental status examination through Cognity.